The wind howls through the sky, gushing through my hair in my pigtails. Snow drizzles onto my blue and white striped oversized sweater. I wonder if it's stuck in my hair? I shuffle over to the benches with my skates under my armpits.

Tomorrow I slowly face the reality of my new life. I knew it was coming, but being in Chicago almost made me forget about the impending marriage. Goodbye Chicago, hello Italy — my friendly enemy. After today, my schedule is packed to the brim with wedding arrangements.

Julian thought one last day out in the town would be the best way to spend my last free day. I couldn't agree more. I slump onto the bench, dropping the skates behind me.

"Isabela." Julian sprints over, rubbing his huge hands together. "I told you not to forget this." He bends on one knee, placing a warm fluffy material over my ears — earmuffs? "Your ears were red."

I roll my eyes, pulling them off my head. "I look dumb with them on."

Julian clicks his tongue. "Not to me. You look as perfect as always."

Ugh. I wanted to whack myself in the head with a life-size hammer! His compliments are starting to weigh heavier on my heart than they shouldn't — we are still strictly physical, and I can't let my heart warm up to him.

He's here now, but he won't be here forever. We both know it. That's why he's been so hesitant about beginning something with me. I don't know what changed his mind, but all I can do is watch out for myself. Make sure I don't get too attached.

Shivering from the cold, I kick my boots off my feet and try to squeeze my foot into one of the ice skates. I struggle to the point of pure embarrassment. I'm grunting, sweat coating my forehead as warmth rushes up my neck. Why me? Why me?

"Here. Let me help you." Julian grabs the ice skate from my hand, and his other hand holds my foot, slipping it into the boot as if it was a pair of flats. "Is there anything about you that isn't cute?"

I scoff. "Yeah, my flint stone toe."

A wide smile breaks on Julian's face, and holy moly, am I blown away by it. There have always been peeks of a smile here and there, but fudge, a genuine smile from Julian will swoon anyone away on cloud nine. What makes it real is that it reaches his cobalt irises— they're shining under the streetlight.

"I will gladly suck on your toes if you ask," Julian teases, tying the laces on my boots. "Say the magic word, Isabela."

I playfully jab him in the chest. "Shut up! That's so gross."

Julian locks eyes with me. Stares into my fragile soul. My heart thuds in my eardrums, silencing the scenery around us. Right now, it feels like we are the only two people in existence. Does his heart beat in tune with mine? It's harder to breathe under the intensity of his gaze. This is how girls hopelessly fall in love in my favorite novels-- I don't want to be one of those girls.

I just wished Julian didn't make it so easy.

Shivers crawl up my spine when he thrusts a strand of hair behind my ear. "I have yet to find a single thing about you that isn't perfect."

Cupid, please spare me the heartbreak and jab a stake through my heart now. Please. That's all I'm asking for. Hello? Cupid? Anyone home in the lover department? I should've known. I'm always left to fend for myself.

"There." Julian pats my skates before hoisting himself from his squatting position and extending his hand toward me. My balance is wonky, and I shift back and forth on my skates. "You almost forgot these." Julian plops a cottony material against my ears. "Your ears always turn red in the cold."

"Just like your nose," I tease, flicking his nose with my pointer finger.

Julian huffs. "Fuck. I hate how obvious it is."

"Why?" I tilt my head to the side as Julian slumps into the bench, shoving his skates on. "It's charming. Reminds me that you're human, like the rest of us."

Julian releases a throaty sigh, adjusting the black bandana falling on his face. "My father always brought it up something along the lines of being too feminine and weak. Men don't turn pink."

It's tragic how much impact an adult figure like a parent has on us as children. No amount of therapy is enough-- we remain unrepairable. I can never run away from what my father did to me-- it's entangled with my DNA.

This time I want to make Julian feel better instead of it being vice versa.

I take the spot next to him on the bench. "Well, he's an asswipe." My hand subconsciously reaches over, toying with his vibrant curls. "Probably just jealous because you're a genuinely good person, unlike him. I really lo-like how your nose gets in the cold."

Julian securely grips the back of my head, pulling me towards him as he presses his lips onto my forehead. "You always know what to say."

I giggle. "I try."

"Let's go to the rink."

Julian intertwines his warm hand with mine, making it impossible to separate from each other. This is concerning. I can't focus on balancing when Julian's warmth is the only thing circulating through my head. Gratitude washes over me with intense relief as he saves me from face-planting the floor at least five times.

"Knees bent and chest forward. Don't force it," Julian advises, stepping on the ice ranking, extending his other hand to me. "Don't fear it. Go with the flow. I'll catch you if anything goes wrong."

"O-Okay."

Julian gracefully walks backward, slowly leading us around in a circle. Every time I slip an inch, Julian works his magic to balance us. How is he so good? I feel like I pour a gallon of myself out for Julian, and he only returns a pinch back. He's reserved-- understandable, but I want to be a reliable source of trust for him. He's the only person I trust, and he's fudged me over two times already.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

"Isabela," his smooth voice rings in my ears.

I look up from the floor at Julian. "Hmm?"

A vague smile forms on his face. "You're concentrating too hard."

I shake my head. "N-No, I'm no-."

My sentence is cut short when I lose symmetry, tripping over my left foot and falling backward on my butt. Julian stifles his laugh, but his smile shines through as he spins back around to help me.

I pout. "What happened to you catching me?"

He gnaws at his lip. "Well, you can't learn unless you fall once."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah. Yeah."

Somehow Julian keeps his composure as he boosts me onto my two feet. He has to be a sorcerer to be this good at ice skating. This time Julian grips one of my hands while his other hand consoles my back. His support and protectiveness raise a few warning signs between my thighs as they feel slicker by the second. We survive two rotations of ice skating before Julian pulls away, letting me off my training wheels and leading in front.

"You got this," Julian encourages, skimming on the ice.

I'm nothing in comparison.

My feet stumble, scrapping against the ice like nails on a chalkboard. I hesitate on my next move, almost losing my balance for the second time tonight. Who would've thought ice skating was harder than graduating high school? Not me.

I whine, flapping my hands to counterbalance my tilt to the right. "How are you so good?"

Julian shows off, spinning in a perfect circle, skating in a one-eighty-degree spin, popping his knee to catch him on his land after the jump. Holy cow. How? He did it way too fast? I'll be lucky if I end up crawling out of the rink on my own.

Julian smirks. "Don't feel discouraged, Bellissima. When I was younger, my mother enrolled Vanessa and me in a figure skating team. We were pretty good, especially Vanessa. We had a bright future ahead of us as a duo, but as always, my father-- consistently butting his head in stupid shit. Made us quit-- Vanessa's funeral was soon after that."

My heart sinks like an anchor in the sea. "I-Is this your first time back on the ice since you quit?"

Julian lifts his hands up, resembling a bird, while he scoots around the ice, weaving in and out of people. Almost like me when I was on top of the bridge over the lake-- free, a moment of peace and sanctuary in our lives of chaos. We find freedom in two different worlds, water and ice-- the same concept, but in a distinct form.

He sneaks up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and dropping his chin on my shoulders. "Yeah... It felt almost selfish to go on the rink without her. She radiated here. I was merely a background character. I wanted to share this memory with someone else-- with you. Only you, if I'm being honest."

My heart stills in my chest. Dang, it. I hate how he makes me feel so special, like I matter. Before Julian, I felt like a cloud wandering through the sky, shifting to the same scenery day and night, but now I feel like a star. A shooting star with a purpose.

"I'm glad," I say, the heat burning my cheeks. "To be someone you feel comfortable enough to do this. To share memories of your sister."

Festive music loops through the ice rink from the speakers in perfect harmony with the Christmas tree. My favorite holiday is about to be tarnished by my wedding. Damien thought it would be a perfect Christmas gift to take my virginity on Christmas. Wow. But I had different plans for myself.

Julian rotates in the circle, bringing me along with him, tailing behind him. My foot curves to the side, following his movement, cutting through the ice pond. Panic glimmers in Julian's royal blue irises as I slowly realize my body teetering too far to the right. Julian wraps his sturdy, muscular arm around my upper body, bearing most of the impact of the fall.

I laugh.

Gosh, even on the ice, I'm a clumsy sack of potatoes. 

A crisp chill rolls down my back from the ice on my thin leggings. My hair covers my lips and neck. A deep, husky, toe-curling in the best way, laughter departs from Julian's mouth as he removes the hair covering my face. Red and green lights flash on Julian's face. He's so breathtaking.

The cupid's bow on his cute, plump pink lips. 

How his wavy locks curve over his bandana, framing his face in a way that's impossible for any other male. No one can compare, and it's starting to scare me. My heart stops when his cobalt irises pierce through mine, his thumb stroking my chin. If someone checked my pulse, they would announce me dead on the spot.

Julian steals all my oxygen when he presses his lips against mine. I didn't realize how much I missed his lips. It's only been a few hours. His kiss brings me back to life, awakening every nerve ending in my body. My fingers rake through the back of his head, deepening the kiss, wanting to taste more of him.

My stomach flips like a fish out of water.

My lips crave his taste when he pulls away, leaving our foreheads connected. "What if we could live every day just like this..."

I laugh, playing with the ends of his hair over the bandana. "It would all just end in a disaster like everything else in my life, but I'll take the chance."

Julian lowers his hand for me, and I use his strength to boost myself up from the ground. He shuffles us over to the bars rimming the edge of the rink. I'm jealous of all the little kids skating around like it's a piece of cake. Maybe with time, I'll learn to be a better skater than Julian.

He kisses my cheek, edging me over the moon. "You're freezing. I'm going to get you a hot chocolate before we go." I open my mouth to reply. "Extra whipped cream, I know. Stay here, Isabela."

A smile emerges on my face. I grip the railing, thinking of how simple life would be if it were just us. Who knows what we could become? Obviously, I would love nothing more to be a genuine couple with a white chapel at the end of the tunnel, but that's far-fetch, even without Damien, I'm sure I wouldn't get so lucky to find the love of my life on the first try.

If anything, I'm happy to have a best friend to support me through this marriage.

A sudden slam on the railing captures my attention. "Funny seeing you here, Isabela." My blood runs cold at the side of Lorenzo's cheeky smile. "Don't you have a flight to catch in a few hours?"

"Umm..." I clear my throat, trying to mask the nervousness in my voice. "What are you doing here? I wouldn't peg you for a guy who likes ice skating."

A deep rumble leaves his throat as he nods his head. "Anything to get some pussy, you know the deal." He winks, sticking a cigarette between his teeth. "Seems like you have the same intentions."

Fear spreads through my body like wildfire. "L-Lorenzo."

My face jerks back when he pushes the lighter to me, glancing at his cigar for me to light it. "Doll face..." He inhales a wad of the smoke, releasing through his nose. "What you do on your own time isn't any of my business. Just don't give me a reason to make it my business."

I blink. "That's all?"

"What?" He shrugs, flint falling down on the bottom of his cigar. "Is it too easy? Should I cash out on the date you promised?"

My eyes bulge out of my sockets. "I rather swallow a gallon of bleach."

"You know assholes have feelings too, Isabela." A disappointed look flashes across Lorenzo's face as he takes another drag before placing it on my lips. "We all merit the right to a few secrets. Don't you agree, Izzy?" Alarm flares in my body like a broken traffic light as he pushes the front of the cigarette into my mouth. "Take a hit..."

My skin prickles with goosebumps.

I don't want to smoke the cigarette, but Mika always said when it comes to Lorenzo-- to listen and never disobey. He has a long list of dead ex-girlfriends with their corpses in his backyard.

I brace myself for the inevitable, inhaling a huff of the rough smoke into my lungs. It burns my esophagus, leaving a fiery, tangy taste in my mouth. I managed to hold the smoke in my lungs for a second before hacking like a madwoman.

"Oww..."

Lorenzo laughs. "Always beware of the people lurking in the shadows... Next time... you might not get so lucky."

My heart thuds in my chest, watching Lorenzo walking away to a parade of girls eating by the food stands. Fudge. My lungs burn, and my head is spinning at a million miles per hour. How could I've been so clueless... Damien always has spies. I should've been more careful because knowing his demented family-- Lorenzo would use this secret to his advantage.

For what?

That's what I'm terrified of finding out.

My body trembles at the feeling of an arm on my shoulder, instantly backing away from the railing. "It's just me," Julian's soothing, deep voice consoles me, rubbing the sides of my arm. "Bellissima, what has you so jumpy?"

Relief swirls with the dread in my belly. "N-Nothing. Let's just get out of here." My eyes dart through the lines of stores across from us. "Karaoke room! Let's end the night in there."

Julian shrugs. "If that's what you want."

My abrupt tug on his arm causes the hot chocolate to fall on the cushion floors, tarnishing the material. Julian's biceps flexes between my fingertips, overflowing my petite hand. Jesus. It would take two hands to wrap around his arm.

He doesn't need to know about Lorenzo.

It will only drive him away from me, and I want to soak up any minute I have with Julian left like a sponge. Lorenzo won't be our downfall.

The bell chimes as we open the door, alerting the clerk snoozing on his stool. "Karaoke room? For two?"

"Yes."

He wipes one of his lenses with his fist and yawns. "Twenty for one hour. Twenty-five for three hours."

My lips pout as I debate the two options until Julian hands the clerk his black Amex card. "Max it out for the entire night. We're also ordering every item on the menu and ten soju. Keep the tab open until I say otherwise."

A black AMEX card? Mika warned me about those-- only people with a salary of a million dollars annually can have one. How on earth does Julian have one? It doesn't make any sense for him to take this job if he's drowning in benjamins. Why can't he pay Damien money to anuell our contract? 

Maybe I'm just not important enough for that. We're merely a friends-with-benefits situation— nothing more. I keep forgetting that.

"Room thirteen," the clerk says, handing us a booklet.

My mouth falls open as Julian lugs me over to the last room in the building, closing the door behind me.

"I could've paid for it... with Damien's card," I say, wiggling his card in the air.

Julian's jaw clenches. "Using his card would raise suspicions on you."

My stomach fills with disappointment. He's only looking out for Damien, not me. At least not simply me. There's an ulterior motive for his actions that doesn't involve having feelings for me. Oh, right, almost forgot. Friends only. Nothing more. A tornado of uncohesive thoughts whirls through my brain, and I'm eager to press the power off button.

A server in black jeans and button-up shirt strolls in with a cart full of soju, fried chicken wings, dumplings, three bowls of ramen, calamari, fries, bulgogi, and a basket full of chocolate-- looks like I'm going to end up in a food coma tonight. My stomach screams in protest, begging to stuff my face with those tasty treats, but I reach for the soju first.

Anything to keep the thoughts at bay.

By the time Julian starts up the sixty-inch television in the room, I've devoured two bottles of soju, and the tingles in my fingers start to sink in. Colorful lights flare through the room, coming from the system in the back. The rawness of the alcohol in the soju burns through the nerves in my throat, turning everything numb. I down the third bottle like it's a glass of chocolate milk.

"Miss. Arias." Julian flashes a wary smile. "You might want to slow down a bit. It's only been ten minutes."

My eyes bulge out of my sockets when Julian scrolls past an incredible, lung-capacity song. "Scroll back up to Heartbreaker!"

I lurch forward for the microphone on the table and flip the switch on. Julian selects the song, altering the scene to a black-and-white image of a heart and lyrics. My voice might sound like a screeching cat, but Julian is a statue-- a hard marble statue entertained by my madness. The sultry tone is hard to vibe to, but I burst into the air, heaving from all the jumping.

"I still believe in love... I still believe in us... I hope you believe in us... The way I believe in us." I plop myself onto Julian's lap, curling my arm around his neck and screaming into his ear.

Warmth emits from Julian's hand, torching a hole into my back. I want his hands to be between my thighs. The entire room falls silent as the song finishes, causing a countdown for the video on the scene. To recharge my vocal cords, I swallow another bottle of soju and one chicken wing.

Another banger by Justin Bieber pounds through the speaker, causing me to jump around the room, flailing my hands. Sweat trickles down my forehead as I gasp for the sentences to pour out of my mouth. Performing at my own concert is tougher than I thought. Boredom mars Julian's face as he exits the room without a word.

Damn.

Harsh crowd.

Then horror strikes.

Everything goes black-- the screen, the music, the lights, and a clash of broken plates come from the hallway. Ground-shaking lighting strikes our site, brightening the room with the harsh white rays. The microphone slips from my grip as I squat down, gripping my ears to protect them from the outside world.

When did it start raining?

"Ike, stop!" My voice is raw, broken, tormented, pitiful. "I don't want to play anymore. Just let me out!"

Snippets of Ike's cheery, cruel face, forcing the door shut to hush my sobs in the darkness. They all came to help every single time. Isiah would warn them about the consequences of hurting daddy's little girl, but no one batted an eyelash. Only Indigo-- he tried to plead a case. It wasn't his fault-- he had no power over my other brothers.

The gasp I let out is so dramatic, so humiliating. Why does the thunderstorm have to have this strong effect on me? The snickers of my brothers roar like the thunder in the sky, blaring my eardrums.

"Please stop... Please."

I'm begging the universe to give me a break. To ease the pain, the torture, the anguish in my chest.

A pair of muscular arms engulf me into a solid, rock-hard surface. The ridges of his abs poke through his button shirt, colliding with my skin.

"Baby." His voice is a whisper of devotion. "I'm right here. You don't have to be afraid. I got you. I won't let anything happen."

Tears drain down my face like a stream. "W-Why are you so nice to me? I'm pathetic. Yell at me! Call me stupid!"

"Shh..." He whispers against my forehead. "Never say that. You're a million things, but pathetic and stupid doesn't even come close."

Beads of silence waivers between us.

"Truth be told," Julian clears his throat. "I used to be afraid of the dark, too."

My eyebrows rose in shock. "H-how did you overcome it?"

His raspy breath fleets across my skin. "By holding onto something I really care about."

The room shakes along with the succession of thunder. My arms wrap around his neck, snuggling into it. A Woodsy, oceanic scent floats into my nose. Soothing combo. My body trembles from the force of my grip on his neck and from the storm.

"C-can you hold me... until it stops?" I ask, my voice going in and out. "I know it kind-of blurs the line of our relationship."

His finger stroke through my untie hair on my back. "It's not even a question. I didn't plan on letting go. Ever."

His words fudge with my thoughts. Now that I have him where I want him— I want more than what he's willing to offer. I want him day and night. When I wake up, and when I go to bed. I want it all. Is it greedy? Have I skipped all the stages before reaching the infamous "l" word stage?

My nerves simmer, even as the thunder rumbles in the background. In the darkness, it's only us. Our breathing, our touches, our vulnerability... he's the moonlight I never thought I needed— shining brighter than every star imaginable.

"You shouldn't be this nice to me, you know," I mutter, playing with the thick hair on the nape of his neck.

"Why not?"

"Because." My heart devoid to the pit of my stomach. "Then I won't be able to stop myself from..."

"From?"

"Falling in love with you."

His body rumbles. "What if that's my plan along?"

My heart skips a beat. "Then we're in deep shitzus."

Ahhhh I just love love love this chapter!!! Who doesn't love a cute date on the ice skating rink? I'm a sucker for them!!

What did you think? Do you think Julian and Isabela entered the love stage yet? or just a strong like? 👀

What about Lorenzo? How do you feel about him knowing the little relationship between our two favorite people?

If you could only pick one to save would it be Isabela or Julian? Don't worry! I have nothing up my sleeves 😜I just want to know who you love the most and why!!

Also, lastly a very important question for me. For the chapter when they finally do the deed, who's POV do you prefer? I have an idea on how ill write it, but I want to know your thoughts!!

thank you so so so much for getting me to 120K Im so freaking happy and soaked about the ranking even if it was only for the day... love ya ❤️💜❤️💜💜💜💌